TEMPO.CO, Quetta - Pakistani government asked the militant groups in Balochistan province, which was hit by deadly earthquake, to temporarily stop their strike which caused hindrance of aids distribution for the victims.
At least 400 people died in the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that rattled the region on Tuesday. Most of the victims were found in Awaran and Kech districts. As many as 765 people were reportedly injured and displaced around 300,000 people in six districts: Awaran, Kech, Gwadar, Panjgur, Chaghi and Khuzdar. Survivors are now waiting for the aids and running out of supplies, medicines and temporary shelters.
The government's effort to distribute aids has been hampered by bad communication and transportation. Residents in Awaran are scattered in a 21,000-kilometer square of area, which is isolated and hilly. "We need more tents, medicines and food," said Balochistan Provincial government spokesman Jan Mohammad Bulaidi. He said 90 percent of the houses in the region have been damaged.
In addition to the difficult terrain, the threat from the military group has also hampered the aids distribution. Balochistan is a region ruled by the separatist group, the Balochistan Liberation Front.
The earthquake is the deadliest since Kashmir earthquake in 2005 that killed 73,000 people. The province is the largest in Pakistan and is the poorest and the least densely populated province.
Today, survivors still need tents to protect them from the temperature, which reaches 38 degrees Celsius.
PAK TRIBUNE | AL JAZEERA | NATALIA SANTI
